If you're just learning how to play poker, you need to know about the positions around the table. The positions around a table in both live and online poker games are not equal in power, and while you won't see players scrambling for a certain position in poker, the truth of the matter is that many are hoping for certain seats.

Each position has a name and they all come with pros and cons, which could really impact a player whether they play poker online games or in person at a casino. A good poker player knows what each seat entails and how to adjust their game accordingly. 

Today, the hijack position in poker is the focus. In this article, you can learn everything you need to know about the hijack position in online casino games and live games, as well as hijack strategies and ranges.

Poker Positions

The most important factor in any poker game is the positions, who plays when and the order in which the game will be played. This will determine who has position and who is Out of Possession (OOP.) What is Out of Position in poker? A player is OOP for any player who acts after them in any betting round.

At a nine-handed poker table, there are nine different positions. These are:

• Small blind
• Big blind
• Under the gun (UTG)
• UTG+1
• Middle position
• Lojack
• Hijack
• Cut-off 
• Dealer (button)

A poker game, post-flop, starts with the small blind and then the round continues in a clockwise direction. This means that some positions are early, some are middle and some are late.

The hijack seat is immediately to the cut-off position's right and is two seats to the right of the button position (which is the last position.) This makes the hijack the third last seat to play and makes it one of the late positions.

Now, many players will begin raising their bets at the button position, which often leads to the cut-off position players raising too. Players in late positions feel that they are able to read opponents' hands better and they will raise in order to steal the blinds once they've seen their opponents' moves. 

Being in the hijack position becomes advantageous because these players have seen the plays before them and can raise their bet before the cut-off and button players, even if their hand isn't great. A pre-flop raise from the hijack position is usually acknowledged with respect, seeing as it's a position with tight ranges and is regarded as less likely to be a steal than raises coming from the cut-off and button positions.

What this raise does is cause the button and cut-off players to question the strength of their hand and shake their confidence. In turn, there's the potential that they might not raise their bet under the circumstances, allowing the hijack player to steal the blinds.

How To Play in the Hijack Position